April 2019
April 2019   


Kitchen Garden - April 2019

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YOU & YOUR PLOT 

6 ON THE VEG PATCH 

This month Joyce Russell is sowing carrots and pumpkins, potting on seedlings and harvesting purple sprouting broccoli.  

 

10 IN THE GREENHOUSE  

KG regular Martin Fish is busy potting citrus and potatoes, harvesting curly kale, sowing into the greenhouse border and planting early salads 

 

12 WHAT’S NEW? 

The latest news, comment and advice from the world of kitchen gardening 

 

13 DIARY DATES FOR APRIL  

 

14 YOUR LETTERS AND TIPS 

Learn what other KG readers have been up to and pick up some great first-hand advice 

 

18 DISCOVER YOUR NEW KG SUBSCRIBERS’ CLUB 

Discover the great features, money-saving offers and competitions we have lined up for KG subscribers in April 

 

20 KG PROBLEM SOLVER 

Our panel of experts help solve some of our readers’ gardening conundrums 

 

64 NEXT MONTH 

Some of the highlights to be found in your May 2019 issue plus news of great free gifts 

 

110 LAST WORD 

Keen gardener and KG team member Pauline Hawkins looks back over a summer of endless sun and never ending tomatoes 

 

GET GROWING  

 

16 ON THE PLOT WITH THE THREE MUDKETEERS 

More gardening fun with the KG team as they get the season under way on the KG plot 

 

22 GROWING ONLINE 

Our pick of gardening social media and websites 

 

26 FOOD FROM THE FIELD 

Gaby Bartai visits a growing project in Perthshire that is all about community 

 

 32 IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR 

The third prize winner in our Passionate Plotter competition Kay McHugh, whose kitchen garden feeds three generations 

 

36 BESIDE THE SEASIDE 

Organic gardener Sally Cunningham extols the health and decorative virtues of sea buckthorn 

 

40 A JOY OF SUMMER  

Veg expert Rob Smith has some top tips for success with courgettes every time 

 

45 BRILLIANT BRASSICAS!  

Former head gardener Sue Stickland explores our changing attitudes to brassicas and the many exciting new varieties available 

 

51 FLIGHTS OF FANCY  

Gardener and nature enthusiast Ben Vanheems encourages us all to make room for butterflies on our plots 

 

56 EDULIS – A TASTE OF THE UNUSUAL  

Holly Farrell visits The Walled Garden, home of Edulis, a nursery specialising in plants for forest gardening and permaculture 

 

60 VEG OF THE MONTH  

KG editor Steve Ott brings you his pocket guide to growing asparagus 

 

66 HOMESPUN MAGIC 

In the first of her new series, organic gardening expert Stephanie Hafferty offers a miscellany of helpful tips and tricks for kitchen, house and garden 

 

70 UP WITH THE CHICKENS 

Thinking of keeping chickens? Take the plunge – you won’t regret it, says Jason Weller, poultry expert and owner of East Sussex-based Mantel Farm 

 

74 WHEN PEARS GO PEAR-SHAPED  

Award-winning fruit expert David Patch has all the advice you need to keep your pear trees healthy and productive 

 

78 THE CULTIVATED PLOT 

Gardening writer and photographer Graham Strong continues construction on his new allotment 

 

82 REKHA’S GARDEN AND KITCHEN DIARY (NEW SERIES) 

Former contestant on BBC’s The Big Allotment Challenge, Rekha Mistry, takes us through her gardening month 

 

84 HIGH-RISE STRAWBERRIES  

Practical gardener Joyce Russell shows you a cheap and simple way to grow delicious strawberries on the patio 

 

88 KEEP YOUR OPTIONS OPEN  

With so much seed choice available, Julie Moore gives eight reasons for growing open-pollinated varieties 

 

92 HERB OF THE MONTH 

This month a KG pocket guide to growing lemon balm for teas and desserts 

 

WHAT TO BUY 

 

62 SAVE UP TO £12 ON ASPARAGUS CROWNS  

 

94 TRIED AND TESTED –PLASTIC-FREE POTS  

Could you reduce reliance on garden plastics? We put some products through their paces 

 

98 GREAT READER OFFERS – SAVE OVER £35 

Claim two free* blueberry ‘Bluecrop’ plants worth £19.90, plus great savings on onions and raspberries (*Just pay p&p) 

 

102 GREAT GIVEAWAYS WORTH OVER £1866  

This month you could win a lawnmower, garden tools, watering kit, slug and snail killer and more 

 

104 GARDEN STORE PLUS SUBSCRIBER SAVERS  

News of some great new products and services and a chance for KG subscribers to bag a bargain on gardening essentials 

 

114 GIVEAWAYS ENTRY FORM